


Wine and Woes

by PaladinAstarte



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Darion and Anduin talk politics, Friendship, Gen, Not Beta Read, Post-Book: Shadows Rising - Madeleine Roux, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaladinAstarte/pseuds/PaladinAstarte
Summary: After the disaster of Arathi, Anduin calls upon one of his more... eccentric friendships for advice and understanding.
Relationships: Darion Mograine & Anduin Wrynn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Wine and Woes

"If it were you - would you have done it?"

Anduin let his question hang in the air. His back was to his guest as he filled two silver goblets with a Dwarven Red that was set on a table in his personal chambers. He'd shed the ceremonial blue and gold garb of his kingly office and set it on its hanger, and wore his white linen shit and blue vest.

Anduin offered the goblet to Highlord Darion Mograine who took it with a nod of thanks. Even without the layers of Saronite armour to shield his true forever-young self from the world, he was no less intimidating in his bearing, but Anduin had learned long ago that it was merely the surface. Under that iron exterior was a considered and pragmatic man, unafraid to share the brutal truth as he saw it with a wry sense of humour to match.

It was that very quality that Anduin was counting on right now. Especially given the travesty that occurred in the Highlands not a fortnight ago.

"What do you want me to say, Anduin? How do you even want me to respond to that question?" Mograine countered, swirling the wine.

"I only want the truth of it. If you were the one in Sylvanas Windrunner's place, would you have done the same thing she had? Would you have killed those people?" Anduin's words were unusually harsh. Even as he mourned, even with the solace of Calia's return, the pain of that event - of that dream shattering - weighed heavily on his soul.

"Every leader fears the threat of dissension in their ranks. But those feelings and griefs are brought about by a failure in the leadership to meet the people's needs."

"You're dodging my question." Anduin pointed out.

Mograine took a sip of the wine. Anduin knew the dead did not need to eat or drink, but unlike the Forsaken, he had seen Death Knights partake in such things. And thanks to the unique magic binding them to life, it took someone with a dwarf's constitution to even attempt to drink them under the table. On one of his many escapades out into the Tavern at Goldshire, Anduin had even seen one such Death Knight, a human woman, boisterously challenge half the Tavern to a drinking contest. It ended with her complaining loudly that she was only slightly tipsy when her last challenger passed out on the floor. The spectators had forgotten their usual unease with her kind and cheered her victory.

The memory brought a smile to Anduin's lips even through his sullen mood. To see Death Knights being so human, enjoying the simpler pleasures in life as much as they could despite their horrific circumstance - It stoked the embers of hope that still existed inside him. That perhaps other gatherings could take place. That living and undead could perhaps be reunited. 

The young King sighed and controlled those runaway thoughts. Had it been Thrall or Baine, then such gatherings would be possible. But Sylvanas was... a different manner of creature. One that he concluded could not be reasoned with.

Mograine considered his drink. "My Knights and I - We are the orphaned Children of the Damned. We are a Brotherhood in all but blood, and I know each and every one of their names. The thought of killing my own brothers and sisters simply because they disagreed with me is preposterous. More to the point, if I did that: how would I be any better than the tyrant I sought to overthrow when I was freed in the first place?" 

"And if your people tried to find safety and shelter in the Alliance?" Anduin prompted,

"A good many of them already do, King. Your question answers itself." Mograine replied with a dismissive gesture. "Undead we may be, but Windrunner and I are different people. Different kinds of Leaders. You could say that I had to tend to my own 'Desolate Council' if you will. A sect of Death Knights who wished to return to their homelands and fight for their people, fight for the Horde and the Alliance. Or simply because they wished to sate their bloodlust. But we came to a compromise. These Unbound were freed to return to their homelands without fear of reprisal, save for an oath that should a grave enough threat arise, they return to stand beside their brothers and sisters once more."

"And you allow them to roam freely." Anduin noted, taking a sip of wine. 

"I do. The Ebon Blade as a greater entity is a politically neutral faction, like the Argent Crusade and the Argent Dawn before it. But the battle line between Horde and Alliance is omnipresent. And in a way, Sylvanas had every right to execute those who were defecting from the Horde."

Mograine drank, crossed the room and refilled his goblet. "As a leader of an Alliance, how would you feel if the Void Elves or the Kul Tirans decided to defect en masse to the Horde? Not only were they sworn to an oath of loyalty to make it a personal betrayal, but they also carry key tactical information about Alliance troop movements, city security, defenses, assault capabilities and more."

The Death Knight went on, either ignorant or not caring about Anduin's irritation mounting. "In that logic, Sylvanas was right to destroy what she saw as potential security threats. But over the years, I've come to understand that her reasons are far more base and petty."

"She wants control. She wants the Undercity, the Horde, ruled by an iron fist." Anduin said.

"Exactly that. And she lashes out at anyone who attempts to wrest that away from her."

"Yes. I know. She killed Calia Menethil for that very reason."

The Death Knight blinked taken completely off-guard by the statement, "Queen Calia lives?"

Anduin regretted bringing it up. "She _did_. Now she is... Forsaken, of a kind. The story is a complicated one and I will share it, but please continue your own thoughts first."

To his credit, the Highlord recovered quickly, "She is not universally beloved by the people, or even the Horde. Already, my Ebon Watchers and Knights have reported a invisible gulf growing between those who support her vision of the Horde and those who wish to sue for peace. The fact that her inflexible manner of leadership also provided the correct climate for a organisation such as the Desolate Council to flourish show that even those who look to her as their Queen call her into doubt."

"And is that what happened with your own Knights? Doubts about your leadership?"

"Doubts about the nature of our existence. And our continued purpose in this world." Mograine corrected.

Anduin hummed, sipping his drink. "I lack the ego required to paint myself as the only one who have regard for my people. I am just a man doing my duty. I offer my Death Knights sanctuary in the Ebon Hold, not salvation."

"Semantics." Anduin brushed off.

"Disagree. Salvation implies a permanent solution. Sanctuary is a means of temporary escape."

The King drank his wine, poured himself another and drank that one too. "A temporary escape sounds wonderful right about now." He swirled the last dregs of wine in his cup, considering the red liquid. So much like blood.

"I have another question and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to." Anduin said, "If it were you leading the Forsaken. Would you have agreed to that meeting in the first place? Or would you think I was a fool to even attempt it in the first place?"

Mograine just shrugged, "We'd be fools together then. Undeath is a cursed existence at the best of times, and if I could give my people a shred of hope to make their lives better, you can be damn sure I'd do everything in my power to make it happen."

The Death Knight gave the King a once-over, noting the sullen expression. "Is that why you asked me here? Because you wanted validation that your decision was the correct one?"

"Validation. Advice. Someone to whine and complain to without being lectured like a toddler playing in traffic." Anduin made a dismissive noise. Then poured his third glass and downed it in short order. "Or someone to get piss drunk with."

Nodding, Mograine made to pour this third glass, only to be disappointed when he noted how light the bottle was. He frowned, "I can manage those I think. But if you're planning on getting us _both_ drunk, we'll need more wine than this."

**Author's Note:**

> Cause I can. These two need more screen time together. I just feel like they'd really understand each other.
> 
> Also, Darion is native to Lordaeron. So yes, Calia is technically his Queen hence 'Queen Calia'.


End file.
